Swimming device



8, 1934. E. J. BABBITT 1.971,s44

SWIMMING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 13. I,'Babbz'tt,

BYMVQI I ATTORNEY WITNESS a aww Aug. 28, 1934.

E. J. BABBITT v SWIMMING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR E QT. ,Bab itt,

WITNESS Mada.

ATTG R N EY Patented Aug. 28, 1934' UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE Application October 19,

I 4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in swimming devices and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an arrangement to be used primarily when swimming with a surf board or a buoyant belt and which will greatly aid in driving the surf board or propelling the body when the belt is worn.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described in which a propelling device is fastened to the wrist of the swimmer and then in turn to the arms and feet in such a manner that the movement of the hands and feet in the act of swimming has great power by coordinating the propelling members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hand operated propelling device which is 'secured to the wrist of the swimmer leaving the fingers free and thus obviating the tendency of the hands to become weary as is often the case with propelling devices which are attached directly to the hands and in which the'fingers are held stifliy in position.

A further object of the device is to provide means whereby the greater part of the strain in the forearm and hands; while swimming, may be obviated by straps attached to the feet and arms so as to augment the arm movement by the foot and leg movement.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a swimmer equipped with my improved device;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the propelling paddles and the arm and foot bands with their connecting straps; r

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the paddle; I

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a swimmer equipped with a modified form of the device, and

Figure 5 is a plan view of a buoyantbelt used in Figure 4. V 7

In carrying out my invention I make use. of propellers or paddles of the shapeshown in Fig. 2. In this Figure 1 indicates the body portion which it will be observed is of somewhat ellipti- 1933, Serial No. 694,288

the major axis being inclined slightly as shown I in figure. 1

In Figure 2 the View is of the back of the propeller or paddle. Thefingers of the swimmer are placed on the rear face and the thumb is designed to pass through the recess 2. The wrist strap 3 is for the purpose of clamping the paddle securely. This wrist strap is preferably of some elastic material such as rubber and is threaded at its ends through openings 4 in such a manner that it can be drawn up'or loosened to accommodate the wrist of the swimmer. It will be understood that there is a paddle or propeller for each hand and that the paddle for the left hand would have a similar recess to that shown at 2 in Fig. 2, but inclined slightly in the opposite direction.

Connecting the wrist band 3 and the arm band 5 is a flexible strap member 6. This arm band, as will be observed from Figure 1, is preferably made of canvas and is reinforced by a strap 5a which passes around the band and which is formed in a loop at 7. A'small elastic strip 8 is provided to accommodate arms of different sizes. This band, as will be observed, is on the arm just above the elbow.

A foot band 9 of similar construction is provided. This foot band has a reinforcing strap 10 and an elastic connectingmember 11. The band 10 is secured to a strap 12 which has a'snap fastener 13 at one end arranged to engage a ring 14 in the loop 7. The strap 12 has a buckle 15 by means of which the length of the strap may be adjusted.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device the operation thereof may be readily understood. In using the device with a surf board, such as that shown at 16 in Figure 1,'the swimmer slips his thumbs through the recesses 2 of the paddles, the band 3 being over the back of the wrist while the arm band 5 and the foot band 9 are connected as stated.

The swimmer lies down on the surf board and makes his swimming strokes in the ordinary man: ner. The greater area of the paddle tends to provide a greater driving force. This, however, does not constitute the main feature of the invention, since I am aware that hand propellers or paddles have been used before. The swing of the arm rearwardly is greatly augmented by the power derived from the foot strap, since it will be observed that, considering the arm as a lever fulcrumed at the shoulder, additional power is applied to the arm throughthe arm strap due to the movement of the leg. This results in driving the surf board forward with considerable force without, however, expanding as much muscular eifort as would be the case if the swimmer were not provided with the paddle and the arm and foot straps which cooperate, as stated, to produce a powerful stroke.

The drive is especially adapted for the use of life guards when they are saving persons from drowning. If the life guard is provided, let us say, with a paddle and arm band and foot band with their connectingstraps on one side of the body, he can swim on his side with a natural side stroke with a far greater speed and with more ease and, in case of an accident would have his other arm free to pull a drowning man to safety without becoming exhausted, because oft-he driving power of the propeller with its attached connection to the arm and foot.

The device, of course, may be used without a surf board and when desired a swimmer using the paddles or propellers might disengage these from his wrist and use his hands without any danger of losing the propellers.

The swimming device may be used in connection with a buoyant belt such as that shown in Figs. 4 and 5., This belt is preferably made of canvas or other suitable material filled with a buoyant material such as kapok, (not shown), and seamed, as shown in the drawings, to maintain an even distribution of the filler. The belt is preferably made in two portions as shown at 1'7 and 17a. These portions are joined by rubber straps 17b. The belt is also provided with straps 18 which pass over the shoulders and through loops 19 so that the position of the belt may be adjusted and it is also provided with end straps 20. The ends of the straps may be tightened to secure the belt in position.

A swimmer who, for instance, has been using a surf board may dispense with the latter and put on the belt. In this instance the foot strap 12 is detached from the ring 14 of the arm band and the snap ,fastener 13 is secured to a ring 21 on the belt. The foot strap on the opposite side may be secured in the same manner.

The use of the belt tends to keep the body .up in the water so that not as much power is required for sustaining the body in the water as when swimming without the belt. The pad- .dles, however, still serve the purpose of propelling the body forward and the swimmer, in this in stance, can swim naturally and make greater progress with less effort than without the aid of the device. The use of the buoyant belt in connection with the swimming device is especially desirable by persons who cannot swim because it removed the danger and fear to the average non-swimmer, but at the same time it gives him a chance to experience the pleasures of swimming and tends to lessen the time in learning to swim.

I claim:

i ,l. A swimming device comprising a paddle adapted to be grasped by the hand of the swimmer, anarm band and a foot band, a strap confoot band. I

2. A swimming device comprising a paddle adapted to be grasped by the hand of the swimmer, a wrist band carried by the paddle for fastening the latter to the wrist of the swimmer, an arm band and a foot band, a strap for con necting the wrist band with said arm band and a strap for connecting the arm band with the foot band.

3. A swimming device comprising a paddle having a recess in one end thereof adapted to receive the thumb of the swimmer whereby the paddle may be grasped between the thumb and the fingers, an elastic wrist band carried by the paddle and extending across the recess for securing the paddle to the wrist of the swimmer, an arm band, a foot band, an elastic strap for connecting the wrist band with the arm band and a detachable strap for connecting the foot band with the arm band.

LAv swimming device comprising a paddle having a recess for the thumb of the swimmer whereby the paddle may be grasped between the thumb and the fingers, an elasticband spanning the recess for securing the paddle to the wrist of the swimmer, an arm band, an elastic strap connecting the arm band with the wrist band and a buoyant belt adapted to encircle the body of the swimmer, a foot band and a strap for connecting the foot band to the buoyant belt.

IEIL'iI VIN J ACKSON BABBITT. 

